Bowling-alley-surfacing machine



Dec. 17, 1929. D. G. JOHNSON ET AL. 1,740,244 I BOWLING ALLEY SURFACINGMACHI NE Filed Oct. 24, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY fly .1.57

Dec. 17,1929; D GJOHNSO'Q ET A "1,740,244

Filed on. 2 1928 5 sheets-sheet 2 fi, gefakman Dec. 17, 1929.

D. G. JOHNSON ET AL BOWLING ALLEY SURFACING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet FlledOct- 2 1928 R km w mm R j 61 efdfiiasoiz E 6 n g L I w 5 a. x .J

WA. (a/ 562i I INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE DEXTER G. JOHNSON AND WEBB L. CAMPBELL, OF OKLAHOMA CITY,OKLAHOMA BOWLING-ALLEY-SURFACING MACHINE Application filed October 24,1928.

This invention relates to a machine for surfacing bowling alleys and thelike, the general object of the invention being to provide a framecarrying the surfacing mechanism and supported from shafts whichhavewheels at their ends for engaging tracks placed at the sides of thealley, with posts for supporting the tracks, the posts having footportions for engaging the gutters of the alley,

with motor driven means for actuating the surfacing mechanism and formoving the device along the tracks whereby the machlne will surface thealley at one operation and as the carriage part travels from one end ofthe alley to the other, the device will surface the entire alley as itmoves from one end thereof to the other.

Another object of the invention is to make the parts adjustable so thatthe surfacing mechanism can be adjusted to properly engage the surfaceof the alley, and adjusted a second time, if necessary, to perform asecond operation on the surface of the alley.

A further object of the invention is to provide rack bars on the tracksand gears on one of the shafts which engage the rack bars to prevent thedevice slipping as it travels over hard places in the floor of thealley.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the device.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof, with the alley in section.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation with parts in section.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig- 4 ure 3.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the shoes or foot blocks.

In these views, the numeral 1 indicates a plurality of posts, eachhaving a shoe or foot block 2 fastened to its lower end, said shoeSerial No. 314,755.

being of semi-circular shape in cross section like so that it can beremoved after the surfac- 7 ing operation has been completed. Braces 3connect the posts with the shoes and some of these braces may be usedfor connecting the posts with portions of the alley. The upper ends ofthe posts are threaded, as at 4, and a cross bar 5 connects each post onone sidefof the alley with each post on the opposite side of the alley,it, of course, being understood that the posts on one side of the alleyare arranged opposite to those on the other side. These cross pieces areeach of channel shape in cross section, with openings in their flangesthrough which the posts pass and nuts 6 and spacers 7 hold the crosspieces in adjusted position on the posts- Hangers 8 depend from eachcross piece adjacent each post and the hangers at one side of the alleyhave fastened thereto an angle-shaped track member 9 and a similarmember is fastened to the hangers at the other side of the alley. Aswill be seen from Figures 2 and 3, these track members are arrangedabove the gutters. A rack 10 is connected with the horizontal part of;each track member a distance from its inner e ge.

A frame 11 is supported from a pair of shaft-s 12 through means of thehangers 13 which have their upper ends connected with the shafts andtheir lower ends are threaded to receive the nuts 14 which adjustablyfasten said lower ends to the frame. shaft has a flanged wheel 15 ateach end thereof, these wheels engaging the track portions 9 and oneshaft also has connected therewith the gears 16 which engage the racks10 so that as this shaft is turned, the carriage formed by the shaftsand the frame 11 will move along the alley. This rack means alsoprevents the device from slipping as its surfacing mechanism engageshard spots in the floor of the alley.

The frame 11 carries a planer roll 17 and a drum cylinder 18 adjacentone end thereof and said frame carries at its other end the diskshapedpolishers 19 which are fas- Each tened to the vertically arranged shafts20 and said shafts are geared together by the gears 21.

A reciprocatory sander 22 is arranged intermediate the ends of the frameand is con nected to the cranks of a shaft 23 journaled in the frame bythe connecting rods 24. A motor 25 has its shaft 26 connected by thegears 27 with the shaft 23 and worm gearing 28 connects the motor shaft26 with one of the shafts 20 so that the polishers are also driven fromthis motor.

A motor 29 is carried by the frame 11 and has its shaft 30 connected bythe worm gearing 31 with the shaft 12 which has the gears 16 attachedthereto, so that this motor 29 acts to propel the carriage. The shaft 30also carries a sprocket 32 over which passes a chain 33 which alsopasses over the sprockets 34 and 35 connected respectively with thesander roll 18 and the planer 17. Thus these parts are also actuatedfrom the motor 29.

A diagonally arranged brush 36 is arranged between the planer and thesanding roller for brushing the floor as the device passes along. Casterwheels 37 are arranged at each end of the frame 11 and can be raised andlowered by the handles 38, these wheels being used when the device isbeing moved from one alley to the other or whenever the carriage is torest on a floor surface and not on the track. Of course, when thecarriage. is on the track, these wheels should be raised intoinoperative position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the posts can be easily andquickly set up in the gutters of an alley so as to support the trackmembers above the gutters. Then the carriage is run on the track membersand when the motors are started up, the carriage will be caused totravel along the alley and the surfacing mechanism carried thereby will0 crate on the floor of the alley to give a perfect level finish to thefloor. This machine will plane, sand and polish the alley at oneoperation, the brush acting to remove the cuttings left by the planer.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising two rows of uprights, atrack member supported by each row, a carriage having its body dependingfrom the shafts thereof, wheels on the ends of the shafts engaging thetrack members, floor surfacing mechanism carried by the carriage, motordriven means for operating the said mechanism and for propelling thecarriage on the track members,

means for adjusting the body of the carriage vertically in relation toits shafts, means for vertically adjusting the track members on theposts, a rack bar arranged on each track member and gears on one of theshafts of the carriage engaging the rack bars.

2. A device of the class described comprising two rows of posts, a shoefastened to the lower end of each post, said shoe being shaped to fit inpart of a gutter of a bowling alley,

hangers adjustably connected with the ends of the posts, track memberscarried by the hangers of each row of posts, a rack bar on each trackmember, a carriage including a body, a pair of shafts and hangersconnecting the body with the shafts, means for adjustably connecting thelatter hangers with the body, wheels carried by the shafts engaging thetrack members, gears on one shaft engaging the rack bars, floorsurfacing mechanism carried by the body and motor driven means foractuating such mechanism and for rotating the shaft which carries thegears.

3. A device of the class described comprising two rows of posts, a shoefastened to the lower end of each post, said shoe being shaped to fit inpart of a gutter of a bowling alley, hangers adjustably connected withthe ends of the posts, track members carried by the hangers of each rowof posts, a rack bar on each track member, a carriage including a body,a pair of shafts and hangers connecting the body with the shafts, meansfor adjustably connecting the latter hangers with the body, wheelscarried by the shafts engaging the track members, gears on one shaftengaging the rack bars, floor surfacing mechanism carried by the body,motor driven means for actuating such mechanism and for rotating theshaft which carries the gears, such mechanism comprising a planerarranged at one end of the body, a sand roller in rear of the planer, abrush between the planer and roller, polishing means at the other end ofthe body and a reciprocatory sanderintermediate the ends of the body.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

DEXTER G. JOHNSON. WEBB L. CAMPBELL.

